When You Cry Tears of Fire
by Snow22
Summary: The story of two girls, one seeking revenge with the powers of a spirit and the other searching for a long lost friend. Prolouge is up with chapter one Total will be around five. Very short and sad. Please R R. Rated T for later stuff.
1. Chapter 1

Every night she stared towards it, the Fire Lord's Temple. She had been there at his wedding to Mai, she had been there when he passed her on the streets of Ba Sing Sei, starving and alone with no family. She had met him as a child, banned from the private gardens because she was not of pure blood. Not tonight, it wasn't the right time to strike. She retreated back into the streets where she had been raised at. But she didn't stop, not even when picking up her collections from her early day performances. A few silver coins, just the right amount for her bread and cheese. Cheap food wasn't always the best but it had helped her to survive. In the past, the thief had gone to lengths of picking the royal guard's pockets. It was a specialty of hers. But she had to lie low, for her current mission right now was to sneak inside the castle and tell the fire lord of her suffering. Let him know…

She passed the sleeping vendors still by their stocks and left the Fire Nation capitol with her money jingling in her pocket. The girl traveled down a secluded path teeming with grass and flowers. There the moon rose behind a crumbling temple, her home and sanctuary. She opened the bolted door made of fused steel and entered her small abode, a circular shaped temple with a lean-to bed made from stolen blankets and chicken feather pillows. The moonlight arrived into the center of the floor from the window fashioned in the very center of the roof. And the statue that stood in the very back of the temple was the reason for her name. One of the Great Spirits that was said to live eternity and be reborn each year. It spread its wings across the circular area with flames resting by its feet. She had maintained it and polished the copper shine each day for it was the reason she had been given life. Her name was Phoenix much like the Great Spirit who had saved her from dying and given her hair and eyes a red flaming color.

She bowed to the statue and then stood straight up, looking into the moonlight. "Tonight is beautiful for flying." The flames danced and swerved until the made a triangle around her feet. They became higher, covering her body fully. They shifted onto her back creating the illusion of fiery wings that actually hosted her into the air and carried her from the temple. She danced around in the air with grace, making the flames follow her every command. It felt so good to be in control, to know she at lease was important for something. As she flew, she forgot that she was a poor girl struggling to survive. Instead she was a dancer, a person of carefree and heartfelt attitude that couldn't be stopped or helped.

A young traveler started her journey the morning after. She was from the Earth Nation, wearing clothing that reflected her heritage and a headband to match. Her hair was a dark black color which was rare for most and even more extraordinary was her emerald green eye color. She had scars lathering her cheeks like whisker markings and a slightly darker skin tone. On her shoulder was her pet ocelweasel, a female one named Kon-Kon that had been with her ever since she was a child. With pressure she slung a heavy sack over her shoulder and waved to her parents. "Well, better go find the little quirt. I've been itching to say hello but she hasn't come back."

Her father looked into her eyes with concern. "Aki, be careful."

"I'm a tough girl. Who do you think taught her to be rough and tough? Who introduced her to the underground fight club? Me, Aki of the Earth Nation. Now excuse me father but I am sixteen now. Off to face the world soon anyway. Keep a good eye on King Boomy though, he might miss me."

This was Aki, a girl that had long been known as a mentor and sister-figure to the great earthbending master Toph. The two had known each other since childhood, despite their defenses in family life. Aki as said had made Toph the tough person with a hard attitude she was known as today. But another important key in her lessons was that softness of the heart has its own weapon that can strike any person down. And as the sun rose, she smiled to the skies and raised her fists to the air, "Ready or not, here I come!"


	2. Chapter 2

It was hard working like a gypsy all day, despite how dreamy and easy it sounded to most people. Phoenix arrived back into the city traveling on her wings of fire, and cut them off with air currents. She had with her a pack of her equipment. Today she wore a tattered dress with patches, carried a tambourine with bells on it as well and also a large red headband with glittering fake jewelry on the top. Early morning also brought in small crowds, but despite this she took a few bites of what little food she had and began to dance. It wasn't as glorious as the night beforehand but she tried her best, swaying her hips side to side while moving with a rhythm she developed. It would get better as the day went on and her back-up band of gypsies came to play. They were all poor and none of them knew each other personally. The one on the trumpet was around thirty at least and then there was a small girl playing with a raccoon-fox that leapt in circles and through hoops and flaming wires. The afternoon was the hottest time of the day but that didn't stop the busy, sweaty workers as they danced and played and sang by Phoenix's beat.

As evening fell into the great city, she became weary and restless wondering if the sign would arrive tonight. A visitor threw some gold into her collections hat and gave a slight cough. She neared towards the man and asked if he was alright. "I am fine young lady."

He was polite but his clothes were different than most. "You are of the water tribe down south are you sir?"

"I used to be a shaman. Only the spirits know if my powers have passed or not. Let me see…"

She lowered her sore shoulders and opened her palm to the kindly man, "Practice on me then. See if your ability has returned yet."

He obeyed without question, taking her hand in his large palm. His eyes sprang open and he whispered, "you hold a very long a deep grudge. You want help tonight don't you, bird of eternal flame?"

"You are my sign. Is the time of my birth close at hand?"

"Very close. Listen to me well, I will disguise myself as a guard and let you come through when I distract the others. If he is truly the one you need, then I will help to free you Great Spirit."

"Thank you. Who are you anyway?"

He gave a fatherly smile and patted her head, "They call me Bakun."

As the moon rose, completely filled with light that night, she dressed up in a thief's outfit, just having her eyes exposed underneath all the black fabric. She hung a loose bag from her belt waist and grabbed her prongs to help her scale the side of the steep castle walls.

She traveled through the back alleys and slipped past the first easy gate guards. They were half-asleep anyway so she straddled onto a piece of the outer wall and sunk her prongs into the side to see if they supported her body. Once double-checking she began to rapidly climb up the wall, aiming high for the balcony.

Zuko was busy scanning his papers, surrounded by them in fact on the balcony outside his bedroom he shared with Mai. She stood in her pajamas, looking upset at him. Without a word, she traveled back inside her room and lie down by herself in the large bed. Just as he was about to lie himself down with his worried, sleeping wife she appeared behind him, holding her sharp prong to his neck.

"Turn around." She demanded with a muffled voice. He turned around and she took off her mask, letting her long red hair flow in the wind. Against the moonlight it looked like blood. "What are you doing here? Didn't' the guards catch you at all?"

"I have my methods young Fire Lord. I need to speak with you."

"Well…?"

She slapped him across the face. "That's for ignoring my family! The poor have been suffering ever since you became leader of this nation and you haven't bothered to even scan your streets. Every time we met as children, your parents kicked me out for being a street tender! And you were always ignoring us as your family promenaded through the streets!" she broke down almost into tears but refused to let them fall. Her secrets couldn't be shown just yet. Her blood-colored eyes glared right into his soul and he held up a recent law, knowing her pain from before. "This law subtracts the rights of my father!"

"This isn't about your father Zuko. This is about my place in this world." She finally let her tears fall and he gasped once seeing them. Each single tear contained a small flame in the center that was released when they hit the solid ground below. "You are the bird of eternal flame. Phoenix? But how…?"

"Zuko, I came here because of the fact that you are my first love. We kissed once and that bonded you to me forever. But now, it is coming. The time when I need to pick a new body to go into. And I can only do it with you." She held her hand out and leaned forward, her bosom sticking out slightly.

"Please help me."

He took her hand and nodded, "When and where?"

"Three days from now during the great celebration of rebirth. The moon will be evened with the center of the universe and that is when I must go. Follow the path wayward from the city to find my temple. I will see you in the great fields beyond. Zuko…I am sorry. But I love you."


End file.
